Good morning everyone (although it is evening already for Muse17),
Sue, thanks for the warm welcome. You are most certainly correct, menopause slows down the weight loss significantly, but I find my increased patience that comes with age is not transferring well to this process I will keep trying. That is why I like this thread for 50+... The young ladies progress so fast that I can't relate.
Tuscany, great goal, the wedding will be lovely and you will look wonderful.
Muse 17, I can so relate to the mood swings. I am sorry you are going through a difficult time. You say you are a musician- what do you play (or do you sing?) I studied flute and piccolo in Vienna from 1978-1985. That is where I met my husband. We moved to the Seattle area in 1985. I decided not to go into music professionally. I went back to school and became a nurse. But I still love to play. tell me more about your music (if you want to share). Anyway, I have frequently sat in my chair frozen, unable to make a move. Congratulate yourself for going swimming. There is a book I read when my depression gets really painful: A Lamp in the Darkness by Jack Kornfield. If you are short on money perhaps you could find it in the library. of course you may not like it, but I find it very comforting. I have a lot of depression and anxiety, but do not do well with the medications for these issues, so I work a lot with mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy to get me through. I am much better than I was, but still struggle some days.
Anyway Muse, you will get though these tough times. I don't know your exact circumstances, but I don't need to. Pain is pain, and it hurts. You are doing exceptionally well if you are able to curb/control your comfort eating. And go ahead and lean on your friends. That is what friendship is all about.
Food wise I did OK this weekend, but not great. I finally goto the scale yesterday and it read 217. The last time I got on it was 225. So that is good. My big problem is an irrational fear of the scale, so I tend to go by my clothes instead. I did take out three different pairs of pants and lined them up. They are my "goals", but I will weigh myself at least every two weeks. It's just that so many times I have been sure that I have lost weight, only to find that the scale has not budged or even gone up. That devastates me each time. ( I did mention that my fear is irrational- it is just a conditioned response). I am working on it
So here is to a great week everyone! And yes, may the magic scale be good to us all!